1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to audio-video systems.
2. Related Art
Audio/video (AV) systems are in widespread use. These audio/video systems include a video display, typically a television screen, and an associated sound system. The audio/video source for such systems may be a Cable, Satellite or Fiber Set-Top-Box (STB), an antenna, a digital videodisk, a Personal Video Recorder (PVR), a computer network, and the Internet, among other sources.
Most programming, e.g., movies, sporting event presentations, and other programming, include both voice and background information. The relative volume of the voice to the background typically varies over the duration of the program. For example, movie programming often include dialogue scenes that are mostly voice and action scenes that are mostly background and that include voice. To understand the programming, a user must be able to understand the voice. Thus, when the voice level is too low, a user increases the volume of the presentation to understand the voice content. Raising the volume increases both the volume of the voice and the volume of the background, which produces a loud combined voice/background presentation. This situation of loud audio output is unacceptable for people who live in apartments or in cities with houses in close proximity.
For example, users who are watching a movie on a television and a coupled surround sound audio system often find that the conversations are inaudible while loud background sounds such as background music, loud noises in the background or special effect sounds in the background is going on. Users who raise the volume in order to listen to the voice conversations find that the volume of the entire audio spectrum increases. This loud audio output disturbs neighbors, sleeping family members, and children who are studying their school works and makes them complain about it.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art through comparison of such systems with the present invention.